Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses: Anna and Ellie
Ancient Egyptian GODS and GODDESSES Ancient Egyptian Gods Osiris was one of the major ancient deities whose role was the god of the underworld and judge of the dead. Set, or Seth was the villain amongst the ancient Egyptian gods who murdered his brother Osiris and represented evil and darkness. The ancient Egyptian goddess Isis, the mother goddess, was the wife of Osiris and the mother of Horus one of the heroes of the ancient Egyptian gods who helped in the resurrection of Osiris. One of the most famous animal headed deities was the ibis-headed Thoth, the patron of scribes, writing and science and the inventor of the hieroglyphics. http://www.landofpyramids.org/ /// 30914 Ancient Egyptian Gods Osiris was one of the major ancient deities whose role was the god of the underworld and judge of the dead. Set, or Seth was the villain amongst the ancient Egyptian gods who murdered his brother Osiris and represented evil and darkness. Symbols of Egyptian Gods Other symbols associated with deities included the Ankh symbol that represented eternal life. The pillar-like symbol called a Djed that was used in in hieroglyphics representing stability and can be seen in many images of Egyptian gods. The'' long staff, called a '''was' sceptre was depicted with many Egyptian gods and goddesses and believed to embody magical powers, symbolizing divine power and was an emblem of authority. The strange depictions of a human head on a bird represented the part of the soul called the Ka and Ba and depicted in scenes from papyrus such as the Book of the Dead, differentiating a human from the gods of the Underworld. The famous Scarab Beetle, seen on so many charms, amulets and the jewelry of the Egyptian gods of ancient Egypt, was a sacred symbol of regeneration and creation of the Egyptian gods conveying ideas of transformation and resurrection. The Tree of Life an important myth relating to the deities symbolized Knowledge of the Divine Plan and was the equivalent to a map of destiny. Lotus flowers, water lilies, symbolized rebirth and regeneration which are all detailed in this website. The Eye of Horus and the Headdresses and Crowns of Egyptian Gods http://www.landofpyramids.org/ 7.10.14 The many different Crowns and head-dresses that adorned ancient deities were symbols of power and status. The Rearing Cobra symbol, called the uraeus was the symbol of the Pharaohs of Lower Egypt and adorned the royal crowns and the headdresses of Egyptian gods. The Uraeus symbol was associated with the sun and protection and depicted on the crowns of many deities and the pharaohs and kings of Egypt. |} In pre-dynastic times, religion was largely animistic (they considered certain animals, plants and geographic features to be the homes of spirits). Many Ancient Egyptian gods are represented by totemic animals based on the ancient understanding of the role or characteristic of the animal. For example, Anubis (the Jackal) was associated with the dead and funeral arrangements because jackals were often seen on the edge of the desert where the Egyptians were buried. It was considered that the jackals guarded the souls of the deceased. As the Egyptians were dependent on the flooding of the life-giving Nile, it is hardly surprising that water deities (such as Hapi and Aunket) and agricultural deities (such as Osiris) would be popular. As their civilisation developed, the gods of Ancient Egypt took more human form and multiplied in number. Cosmological deities (such as the sun and moon) and gods of warfare and hunting soon followed. . Many of Ancient Egypt's Gods and Goddesses share characteristics and epithets at different times in history. For example, Sekhmet (the lion Goddess of Memphis), Mut, Tefnut and Hathor are all given the title 'the Eye of Ra' and given the task of protecting the sun god. There is often confusion about the different gods known as Horus. For example, Horus the elder was often thought to be the consort of Hathor, while Horus the younger was the son of Isis and Osiris. This is unsurprising given that the Egyptian civilisation survived for over three thousand years, and the religious system was constantly evolving. http://www.ancientegyptonline.co.uk/thegods.html 21.10.14